The general objective of this CA is to support the processes of elaboration of the Regional Action Programme (RAP) of the Annex IV Countries. Specific objectives will be to identify, by involving stakeholders in five ad hoc Workshops:
- the state of the art on desertification topics, to better evaluate the impacts of human activities and planning policies on threatened regions;
- spatial and temporal priorities and strategies, to implement prevention/mitigation actions and to improve sustainable land management;
- scientific, institutional and political gaps and opportunities, to propose suitable solutions.

At the end of the activity, guidelines, recommendations and strategies will be proposed to the National Focal Points for the elaboration of the RAP. The success of this transfer is expected to be high, because the National Focal Points are directly involved. The five thematic workshops will contribute to improve the current knowledge and to fill the main scientific, technical and institutional gaps identified together with stakeholders and to elaborate guidelines and strategies to combat land degradation. The improvement of the co-ordination and the wide exchange of knowledge between scientific community and stakeholders, and among the stakeholders, will be the other major result.

Means of Implementation:

Amount of financing 300.000,00 euro.
Funding for the project was provided by the European Commission, DG XIII under the 4th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Programme.
A wide telematic network for information and knowledge exchange will be set up between scientific community and stakeholders involved in land management at all levels (CCD National Focal Points, Institutional Agencies, NGOs). This will allow a comparison of the different degrees of perception and awareness on relevant themes and will stimulate discussion that will be channelled into five thematic Workshops on: sustainable management of soil and water resources, political and socio-economic aspects of desertification, identification of sensitive areas, prevention and mitigation, elaboration of regional strategies. The activities will be co-ordinated by a board composed by representatives of CCD National Committees, by a scientific advise panel and by the representative of an NGO network.

The final result of the project (guidelines, and strategies for the elaboration of the RAP) will constitute the main direct impact. Its effectiveness is expected to be high, because the National Focal Points are directly involved. The wide exchange of knowledge among the stakeholders will be the other major result. During the Workshops, press interviews and news releases are expected to raise desertification awareness in civil society.

Relevance to the Plan of Implementation of WSSD:

This project addresses several priority actions identified in the plan of implementation which are related to the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to address causes of desertification and land degradation in order to maintain and restore land, and to address poverty resulting from land degradation (§ 41). In particular providing affordable local access to information to improve monitoring and early warning related to desertification and drought ( § 41, e).